Resisting Rosaleen (18+)

20

"Bye," I heard him through the door "See you at school."

-

Rosaleen Martin, 19, found dead in her bed. Cause of death: the bitch couldn't act right.

I rolled over, checking the time on the watch on the wall. I could barely make out the numbers in the dark but after a few seconds of staring, I figured that it was 3am. My last day at the mountaintop was tiring and we're supposed to come home tomorrow—today, at early morning. Despite the tiredness, I couldn't sleep.

He kissed me.

I still couldn't process it or move on. It's been two days but those forty-eight hours still weren't enough for me to get a grip. I've squealed, I've shrieked, I've smiled like an idiot, I've done my celebratory dance, I've done it all. Still, the giddiness would not go away. It was in me, making me squirm every second on my bed.

I sighed sharply. On the bright side, I'll probably be knocked out during the trip back.

Eventually, the alarm went off in the hallway and we were given two hours to eat and pack our things. I ended up sitting next to Aiden this time but while he was preoccupied with watching Netflix on his iPad, I was knocked out as expected.

When I awoke, we were entering the city. It was much hotter and I was sweating in my faux fur coat. I shrugged it off, hitting Aiden in the face while I did. That was the conclusion of our retreat. As soon as we got to school, I found Jared waiting for me in the parking lot. He loaded my bags into the trunk.

"How was the trip?" he asked on our way home.

"Unexpectedly delightful," I admitted but it was still an understatement. It was amazing.

"That's nice to hear."

"How's my brother?" I yawned. I guess I was sleepier than I thought.

"He and his girlfriend are planning his birthday party," said Jared. He had a haircut again and it looked neat. He seemed like someone who would cut his own hair. I guess me being away gave him some time.

"Fuck," I looked out the window as we passed the convenience store. No sign of Nick. "I forgot."

"Well, don't tell him that," he said, "They want everything gold and white."

I snorted. It sounded tacky and overused. I wondered then what I could gift my brother. What do you give to a man who can have almost anything already?

We made it home and sure enough, Wyatt and Charlotte, along with Ben, our usual events coordinator, were in the dining room. Illustrations and swatches were scattered on the table as Benny was busy on his laptop.

"You're getting old. Soon enough, you're gonna need botox."

Those were the words that made my beloved big brother roll his eyes and cross his arms—a gesture we've both been accustomed to.

"Rosaleen!" Ben stood and kissed my cheek. The big Asian man reminded me of Big Bird with his yellow boa.

I stared at the tall stack of envelopes. "And you're sure everyone's gonna fit here?"

"Our lot's as big as your school," he shrugged, "I'm pretty sure we'll fit."

"I thought you said you're only inviting close friends and family?"

"Well, I'm pretty popular," Wyatt shrugged and pulled his phone out.

"Rose, honey, can you help me with the stamps?" spoke Charlotte who started stamping 'You're Invited' onto the black envelopes one by one. We could've gotten people to do it for us, but designing by hand made Char excited.